Category: Solutions & Shortcuts

As image professionals we work mostly alone in our businesses, and we share common problems. But we don’t always have the resources to solve those problems on our own. That’s why Shortcuts & Solutions is such a popular program – and our first one is scheduled for next week:

Our moderator will be Brenda Kinsel AICI CIP and we will discuss the following topics:

*Staying motivated – how do you stay motivated with the new goals you set for the year? Is it time to give up or make adjustments to goals you’ve already had but feel stuck about? How do you get reenergized?

*What are some of your favorite organizational tips? How do you keep your notes organized? Calendar? Follow-ups? To-do’s? Filing?

*How are you filling your marketing calendar with opportunities for people to turn into clients, i.e. presentations, seminars. What are your favorite topics?

You’ll have pages of useful notes!

You’ll be asked to turn in your thoughts on the above topics a few days before the event (even if you don’t have anything to offer on one of the subjects, that’s okay.) The content will be summarized and provided back to you before the call to make it easier to take notes.

If you turn in the homework, you get the summary. And if you can’t personally be on the call, you’ll get the link to the recorded call afterwards.But of course, the more people on the call, the better. SO much information is exchanged – you’ll want to be on the call if at all possible!

For Q&A on how the program has worked in the past, click here. We’d love to have you join us.

It’s back….but under a new name! What is this, you’re asking? It’s the opportunity to share ideas and resources and get your questions answered with your image consultant colleagues. And it’s so easy, because it’s done on the phone, so all you have to do is dial in.

If you haven’t participated in this program yet, here’s all you need to know about how it works. First of all, it’s facilitated by our very own Chapter member, Brenda Kinsel AICI CIP, who’s an expert at working in this format. If you haven’t participated in a teleconference with Brenda yet, you’re in for a treat. She’s an expert at bringing out the best in everyone. What else do you need to know? Please read on…

1. How exactly does this work? First you need to register. A registration link will be sent out in emails starting a few weeks prior to each call, so be sure to open and read the emails you receive from the Chapter. (You can also check our Events Calendar page on a regular basis to make note of when future calls are scheduled; in general, they will be scheduled ever other month.) We need you to register for the event so we know how many people will be on the call.

2. What happens then? About a week before the call, you’ll be asked to email your thoughts and input on the three topics for the call. These comments will be compiled into one document and sent out to all participants in an email a day or so before the call. You’ll be given a conference call number to call on the scheduled day and time.

3. Who picks the topics for the call? The topics are usually derived from the participants in prior calls. As everyone begins to share and talk about what’s going on in their business lives, there are always topics that spur more questions and interest. Brenda compiles these ideas and uses them as topics for future calls. In addition, we regularly ask the membership for their ideas on subjects they’d like to see us cover. We also pull topics that the membership asks for in our annual survey.

4. What if I don’t have input for every topic? That’s totally okay! Usually everyone has input on at least one of the topics that they can share, but you don’t necessarily have to have input on every topic. The teleconference is all about learning and sharing with each other, so you don’t need to be embarrassed to say that you don’t have input on a particular topic.

5. Will I get a recording of the call? Yes, we do record the calls and you will get a link to the recording so you can refer to it again if you need to. This is also helpful if something comes up at the last minute and you can’t actually be on the call – you’ll have the recording to listen to. However, it’s best to be on the call if at all possible because the discussions are much more productive when everyone participates.

A sample of notes from one of last year’s calls!

6. What happens if I don’t turn in the ‘homework’? Unfortunately, in order for this to work fairly, if you don’t send in your input ahead of time you won’t receive the other participants’ written input. You can still be on the call and take notes and participate, and you will still get the link to the recording of the call. There is usually so much input, though, that you’ll really want to make an effort to do your ‘homework’ so you can have the written notes beforehand – there are always really great resources that are shared and you’ll have everything all spelled out for you.

7. I see the first call is scheduled for a Monday morning. Are they all going to be on a Monday? No – we will be changing the day and time for each call so that, if Monday mornings are difficult for you to be on the call, for example, you’ll have the opportunity to participate when the call is held on another day. Last year we held all of our calls on a Friday morning. We got feedback from the membership that it would be helpful to change up the days and times, so that people have more choices to fit it into their schedules. We listened – so now it’s your turn! Be sure to open those emails from the Chapter so you’ll know when the calls are scheduled.

8. How many people are usually on a call? It varies, of course, but it’s usually an intimate group, typically about six people. This is great because it’s so very easy to exchange ideas and ask questions in a small group.

If you have other questions about the calls, please email President Elena at elena@stylingfabulous.com – we want these calls to be a valuable and convenient resource for the membership. Hope to ‘see’ you on the first call on September 29!